Carlos's helmet
by vikwhis13
Summary: Carlos wears his helmet for a reason but no one knows what the reason really is. Is it because he likes doing stunts? Who said he liked doing stunts. Is it because the cool people do it? No. Maybe it's because something happened when he was little.
1. Chapter 1

**Carlos is as you all know is a big ball of energy. But what is under his thin layer of energy. Why does he wake up in the middle of the night crying? Why does he flinch every time someone attempts to come near him? Why does he panic every time he hears thunder? How come he can't trust anyone, not even his friends? Why does he wear his helmet? **

"Carlos come on we're going to the pool! Are you coming with us or not?" Kendall yelled from outside Carlos bedroom door. Carlos quickly wiped away his tears and said "Umm yeah I'll be out in a minute" he stuffed a picture in his dresser and opened his door "C-come on let's go" he stuttered trying avoid Kendall seeing his puffy, blood shot eyes. James and Logan were standing by the door holding towels and pool noodles in their hands. Carlos kept his head down. "Finally you're out!" James said relieved "Let's hit the pool!" They all headed to the elevators wearing their swim trunks, flip flops, and shades. "Today is the perfect day to swim" Logan said pressing the button to the lobby.

When they got to the pool James went to his favorite tanning spot and sprayed on Cuda action tan, Mangerine, Logan went to find Camille, Kendall went to find Jo, and Carlos just sat in a chair, he didn't really feel like swimming today. James noticed Carlos sitting alone in the chair and walked over to Kendall. "Hey, Kendall doesn't Carlos normally splash around in the pool?" he asked making sure he wasn't going crazy. Kendall looked around the pool and saw Carlos sitting in a chair "Yeah he normally is." Kendall said with suspicion. James asked "do you think he's sick? Maybe I should take him home" he was about to walk over to Carlos but Kendall stopped him and said "No don't take him home now, just give it a few minutes." Jo joined their conversation "Yeah, I bet in the next fifteen minutes Carlos will be in the pool playing with his pool noodles." Jo said calmly. James sighed at said "Yeah probably" then went back to his tanning spot and opened his 'Pop Tiger' magazine, looking up every few minutes at Carlos.

About ten minutes later Carlos was still sitting in the chair. Even though Carlos was sitting in a spot with the sun directly on him, he felt cold. He hadn't been in the pool, and the wind wasn't blowing at all, yet he was shivering. Carlos's eye lids also started to feel heavy. For the past two week he kept waking up in the middle of the night because of nightmares and didn't want to go back to sleep fearing the bad dreams would come back. He struggled to keep his eyes open. "I'll just close them for a minute" he thought to himself. He closed them and ended up falling asleep.

James looked up from his 'Pop Tiger' magazine and saw Carlos in his chair curled up in a ball. "Just give him a few minutes. He'll be fine" James said in a goofy voice mimicking what Kendall said before. James got up from his seat "I'm taking Carlos home" he said coldly as he walked past Kendall without making eye contact. "James he's not sick!" Kendall said in return. James ignored him and saw Carlos not just curled up but also sleeping. James gently picked Carlos up in his arms and headed inside. Before James walked into the lobby he pasted his girlfriend Morgan. "Hey you" she said planting a kiss on his cheek. Then she saw Carlos sleeping in his arms "What are you doing with Carlos?" she asked "Oh Carlos is sick, and fell asleep in a chair, so now I'm taking him back inside." He said. "You're so helpful" she said and then pecked his lips. Then she walked away and James went back to the apartment.


	2. I feel sick

**Wow I'm surprised at how much everyone liked my first chapter, especially SparklyFedora. Here's the next chapter enjoy. Just so you people know this isn't really a slash or a fluff, just good ol' fashioned friendship.**

A few hours later Carlos was sleeping with his head on James's lap. Carlos had a blanket wrapped around his body and James was rubbing Carlos's back soothingly. Carlos woke up to the faint scent of oranges. When he opened his eyes he saw James and was frightened. Carlos yelled and rolled over, and fell on the floor. "WOAH! CARLOS ARE YOU OK?" James asked as he helped him up off the floor. Carlos was hyperventilating because last he remembered he was at the pool and he didn't know how he got into the apartment, and was scared. Kendall and Logan rushed into the room "Carlos its ok! You're ok!" Kendall yelled "Carlos look at me" James said calmly setting him on the couch and kneeling down to his level. "Carlos calm down, your home. Take deep breaths" Carlos started to slow down his breathing. Soon he was clam and James said "There. See no one hurt you." "How'd I get here?" he asked confused Kendall spoke up "You fell asleep at the pool a few hours ago, so James brought you back here." James sat on the couch and pulled Carlos into his lap. "Is something bugging you?" Logan asked concerned. "Umm no I'm just not feeling great." He said rubbing his eye. Kendall reached toward Carlos's helmet and he thought Kendall was going to hurt him and flinched. Kendall said "Relax I'm just going to take off your helmet". Then Kendall removed his helmet and felt his forehead. "It doesn't feel like you have a fever. Logan get the thermometer" Logan got up and went to the bathroom. Carlos's eyes widened "NO! I HATE THE THERMOMETER!" Carlos really did hate it.

Logan came back in the room with the first aid kit. He pulled out the kind of thermometer that you sick under the tongue. "NO! DON'T!" Carlos yelled again putting his hand over his mouth. James kept him down and Kendall tried to pull Carlos's hand away. "CARLOS JUST LET HIM TAKE YOUR TEMPERATURE!" Kendall shouted. Carlos started to kick his feet and Kendall tried not to get hit "STOP KICKING!" When Carlos wasn't looking Logan pulled out a thermometer that could be put in ears. Logan shoved it in Carlos's ear and pressed a button. "LOGAN!" Carlos shouted. Logan kept the thermometer in his ear for a few seconds then pulled it out. He looked at the temperature and said "Carlos doesn't have a fever. Are you sure you're sick?" They all looked at Carlos. He didn't want to tell them what was really going on so he just said "I just want to go to bed". "Well eat something before you go to bed. Come on I made dinner" Kendall said. James released Carlos and they both stood up. "Doesn't Mrs. Knight make dinner?" Carlos asked James walked him to the table "Yeah but she and Katie are going to be in San Diego for a week for a mother daughter retreat." Carlos shrugged and sat down in front of a plate of spaghetti.

He didn't eat much more than a few bites. He wasn't really sick, but he just missed his family. He's been missing his family since he was six when his mom was put in prison. His mom was on drugs and was an alcoholic. She was put in prison because she abused Carlos by slapping him, or starving him, and once even broke Carlos's arm. Then his parents got a divorce. Then after the divorce and his mom was put in prison for driving drunk, so his dad had to work longer shifts, to earn more money, and was never at home and Carlos never really got to form a real father son bond with his dad. Then a few years after his parents got divorced his older brother, Miguel, went off to College in Colorado. When Carlos wasn't at school he spent his time at home alone. He had to walk a mile and a half to school and back every single day. He started staying home at the age of nine. He could never have his friends over, and he rarely went to his friends' house. Carlos always felt alone, never like he could trust anyone. Yes he had Kendall, James, and Logan but he never trusted them so he hid his pain and secrets by doing crazy stunts. He never wanted to do them, but it was the best way to hide everything. Now, for the past few weeks, he felt like everything was falling apart.

Logan and Carlos were the only ones sitting at the table while James and Kendall were on the couch watching TV. Logan was sitting next to him to make sure Carlos ate some food. Carlos then pushed away his plate and whispered "I'm full" then got up from his seat. "Wait Carlos you barely ate anything" Logan said. James and Kendall turned over to see what was going on. "I don't wanna eat. I wanna go to bed" he murmured and walked to his room. "It's only eight o'clock" Kendall said. James then looked at him "He's sick. Let him go to bed." He whispered so quietly Carlos couldn't hear then said "Night buddy" to Carlos. Then Carlos shut his bedroom door. Then Kendall turned to look at him "Carlos didn't have a fever, he's fine." James scoffed "He didn't eat anything. He is not fine" then Kendall chuckled "You're such a mom". James frowned and they continued watching TV.


	3. Nightmares and Clouds

**I guess I keep screwing up with typos and grammar and spelling. I'm not a food good speller so bear with me. If you like this story you people should read my other stories. Much luv to people who've reviewed! =)**

Later Carlos was in dreamland, but for him dreamland wasn't very pleasant. He dreamed that he was in Minnesota again with his mom. Carlos slowly approached her, praying that she wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Carlos said something but he wasn't sure what, it didn't really matter because whatever he said ticked off his mom. She let out a scream and called him a "Worthless child with no potential". Carlos fell to his knees and begged her not to hurt him. She didn't care. She pulled a metal baseball bat from behind her back and hit him upside the head with it. The Latino fell face flat on a sidewalk. Cuts covered his tan skin and he looked up and his mother wasn't finished with him.

James was in his bedroom at the time reading a book. Then he heard a faint rustling coming from another room. It got louder and louder so he went out in the hall and heard mumbling coming from Carlos's room. He entered the dark room where the only light was coming from the moon that shone through the window and onto his friend's face. Carlos was mumbling words that sounded like "Muh Meh s-s-stop" Carlos was tossing and turning, and sweat was coming down his forehead. "N-NO!" he said. Soon Kendall and Logan were in the room. The second Kendall turned on the light Carlos yelled from the top of his lungs and sat up in his bed, then broke down in tears. The others were bewildered. James got down to Carlos's level and asked him "What did you dream about?" Carlos tried to tell him but couldn't spit it out, and really didn't want to spit it out. He flung himself into in to James's arms for comfort. James gave Carlos a hug and picked him up.

Carlos was bawling and trembling in James's arms, his face was red and his eyes were blood shot, he's struggling for words and air. Logan left the room for a minute then came back with a moist wash cloth and wiped away the sweat and tears. His tears didn't stop. James looked at Logan and told him to "go get Carlos some water" "got it" he said and handed Kendall the wash cloth. "Everything is going to be ok" Kendall reassured Carlos as he dabbed his face. "What did you dream about" James asked again. "I-I s-s-aw mmmuh em a-a-an' I-I-I…" It was hard to tell them in words so Carlos got frustrated and cried harder.

Logan came back in the room with a blue mug that had 'Carlos' written across the center, and handed Carlos the water. He took a sip and exhaled slowly. James took the mug and put it on the dresser "Can you tell us what you saw now?" he asked. Carlos just shook his head and whined a little. Then Kendall left the room to get his guitar and when he came back he played Carlos's favorite song. In a matter of minutes Carlos was sleeping and James, Logan, and Kendall could go back to bed too.

XXXXX

The next day was cloudy and gray. Each of them was doing their own things. Logan was using his microscope, Carlos laid on the couch, watching cartoons, James was in his room doing who knows what, and Kendall looked out the window fearing a storm. All of them knew Carlos was terrified of thunder and lightning, but only Carlos knew why. His mom traumatized him when he was little, and every time a storm came, it would take him back to the night Carlos and his mom were at home alone when he was four. It was pouring outside and thunder could be heard in the distance. He went up to his mom and asked her "Mommy can I have juice?" but she just told him to go away. He asked again and she told him to "get it himself." Carlos didn't go away he just asked again determined to get his juice. Finally Mrs. Garcia got up from the couch and slapped Carlos across the face. Carlos started to cry, but she didn't care about him at all and told him to "SHUT UP!" then he cried harder. His mom was annoyed and pushed him against the wall. She was beating him harshly. Soon Officer Garcia came through the front door, soaking wet. Carlos ran to him and clung tightly to his leg. Since then the sound of thunder and the sight of lightning freaked Carlos out.

James walked in the room wearing a suit and trying to tie his tie. "Where are you going?" Logan asked looking up from the microscope. "I'm going to take Morgan to 'shay fancea' later" James said focusing his attention on his tie. Then James caught a glimpse outside the window and saw it was dark and cloudy. "Is it supposed to rain today?" he asked. Kendall told James "Yeah I think it is." Then he whispered in James's ear "Let's hope it doesn't storm, I think Carlos has had enough problems" and he pointed to their younger friend on the couch. James sighed and finally tied his tie "I hope it doesn't storm" then the doorbell rang and James opened the door. Morgan was standing there and said "Hey sweet heart ready to go?" James smiled and Carlos shouted from the couch "Bye James" after that James and Morgan disappeared into the hall.


	4. the fear of Thunder

REVEIWS MAKE ME FEEL LUVED! Thx everyone for the awesome reviews! But bear with me on my spelling. I'm C-ing language arts so my grammar won't be so my grammar won't be that great either. Anyways ENJOY!

Rain started to pour from the gloomy sky. Carlos was lying on the couch watching TV. He had on the fake smile he always put on every day to hide his pain. "Carlos" Logan said "Are you okay? You're quiet." He looked up and saw Logan towering over him with concern on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine" he said weakly "are you sure" Logan asked. Carlos just nodded and put his head down on the orange pillow. "Okay" Logan said not really believing him, and he walked away. Carlos was tired, he didn't get much sleep last night after his nightmare. "Carlos you haven't done anything all day." Kendall said sitting next to him "Don't you want to go down the swirly slide?" Carlos sat up but before he could answer thunder roared. "NO!" he screamed and covered his ears. Fear took over his whole body. Lightning flashed close to the building and Carlos yelled "DON'T! NO PLEASE!" he was back to the night his mom slammed him against the wall. "Carlos calm down! It's okay!" Logan shouted gripping his shoulders. That didn't help. Logan gripping his shoulder only made it worse, he felt like his mom was going to push him. "DON'T HURT ME!"He yelled and fled to the other side of the room. He sat against the wall. Thunder roared and he yelled out "STOP IT!" he was freaking out.

XOXOXOXOmorgan+jamesXOXOXOXO

James and Morgan were at the restaurant when thunder sounded. James's eye widened. James asked her "Is there a storm?" Morgan looked confused "Yeah, it was in the forecast last night. Didn't yo-"James's phone cut her off. 'Logan' flashed across the screen and James answered it. "Hey buddy what's up?" he asked casually. Logan's voice sounded panicky "James get over here. I think Carlos is having a panic attack!" James then got more serious "What's happening to him?" he asked. "Umm he's hallucinating, coughing, sweating, trembling, and keeps telling someone to stop." "Stop what" James asked "I don't know! He just keeps saying that every time Kendall or I try to get near him." Logan said "He's scared of storms isn't he." James asked. "Well yeah but he's never been this scared of a storm. James please come over here. You're the one who can always make Carlos feel better" James just said "Okay I'll be there as soon as I can" then hung up the phone. "Is everything alright James" Morgan asked him sweetly. "Morgan I'm really sorry but we have to go. Carlos might be having a panic attack." She just gave a sweet smile and said "It's ok" and called the waiter for the bill.

Twenty minutes later he got back to the apartment. When he opened the door Carlos was sitting up against the wall and Logan and Kendall were trying to calm him down, but Carlos wouldn't them. When James shut the door Logan looked his way and told him "It'd defiantly a panic attack. See if you can calm him down. Kendall and I have tried everything." James looked at Carlos and approached him slowly. "Hey buddy." He said calmly "its m-"he was cut off from thunder and Carlos screamed "STOP IT! DON'T HURT ME!" James was shocked. I was worse than he thought. Carlos has shown his fear of thunder before but, in the whole 12 years they've know each other, it was never this bad the storm was less than a mile away. Thunder and lightning wasn't stopping. It came every few seconds. "I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!" Carlos repeated and started to cough. Another flash of lightning Carlos yelled "NO! I JUST WANTED JUICE!" James looked at Kendall "Go get him juice" he thought he really wanted something to drink. James put his hands on Carlos's shoulders but he started to slap them "NO! DON'T HURT ME ANYMORE!" James tried his hardest to ignore the slapping and told him "Thunder isn't going to hurt you!" That's not what Carlos needed to hear. Carlos kept slapping him and started to cough again. James pulled away his hands and seconds later nausea passed over him and he threw up on the floor. Then Kendall came back with grape juice. Thunder boomed louder this time and Carlos yelled "I'M GONNA DIE! I CAN'T FEEL MY HANDS!" his breathing became faster, and he was sweating but was shivering, and he was clutching his stomach. "Here Carlos drink some juice" Kendall said. "Logan what's happening to him!" James asked. "He's suffering from a major panic attack! Call an ambulance!" Logan said and Kendall dialed '911'.

Soon the ambulance came around the corner and they rushed Carlos down to the lobby. I was hard because he tried to get loose and kept yelling and screaming telling them to "STOP IT!" or "DON'T HURT ME!" etc. They met the paramedics down there and Carlos was loaded in the back. "Can we go back there?" James asked one of the paramedics. "No. I'm sorry. We'll have him in the hospital soon." He closed the doors and Kendall, James, and Logan climbed into Kendall's pick-up truck.


	5. And every thing come out

**Happy everyone liked the last chapter. This next one wasn't planned out very well but I'll be able to still make it a good chapter. **

Kendall, James, and Logan got to the hospital quickly. They entered the huge building and asked the lady at the front desk where Carlos Garcia was. "Are you family" she asked. James was quick to answer "Yes. We're his…umm… half-brothers" she looked at them suspiciously "Are you his parents or guardian?" "Yes" he lied. "Okay" she said and handed him a clip board "Fill out these papers, and we'll be with you shortly" James grabbed the clipboard and pushed it to Logan's chest. They all sat down in red and wooden chairs that were all around the waiting room. Logan read and filled out everything their address, his allergies, his reason for being there, etc. After, what seemed like forever, Logan finished and handed the information to the front desk lady. "Okay, everything seems to be in order. Your brother is in room 114" They thanked her kindly, and walked down the white hall to room 114.

When they opened the door a nurse was in the room examining Carlos. Carlos was sitting on top of a table. He seemed a little calmer but still very pale. "Hello" Kendall said. The nurse turned around and asked "Who are you?" James told her "We're Carlos's brothers". She looked at them suspiciously not seeing any resemblance. James cleared his throat "Half-brothers" Logan gave Carlos the 'just-go-with-it' look. The nurse just shrugged and told them that they just had Carlos calm down and the doctor would be in soon. With that she walked out the door. "Hey buddy" Logan said approaching their younger friend. Carlos winced fearing they would hurt him. "No Carlos its ok, we're not gonna hurt you." James guaranteed him. Carlos relaxed a little and asked "why'd you say we're brothers?" he asked a little shaky. Kendall told him "Because it was the only way they'd let us see you. So if they ask, James is twenty-one, and your legal guardian, and we're all your half-brothers" Carlos sighed and the doctor came in the room. "Hello" he said in a friendly tone "I'm Dr. Shimmer. Are you Carlos's parents or guardians?" he asked "I am" James said "We're his older brothers" he sounded as if he's been saying it forever. "So why did he have a panic attack?" Kendall asked as they all took a seat in some chairs. "It wasn't exactly a panic attack. He was probably just suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Did anything dramatic happen in his past?" They didn't know about his mom abusing him. They just thought she was dead. "Well his mom died when he was little." James said. "Did he see it happening in front of him, or have anything to do with it" the doctor asked. James just shrugged.

"Does Carlos use drugs or alcohol?" the doctor asked. "No, we don't keep that stuff in our house" James replied.

"Is he on any medications?"

"No"

"Does he have any phobias?" The doctor kept throwing questions at James.

"He has astraphobia"

"Did anything happen in his past that could make him afraid of storms" James shook his head.

"Does anything make him feel safer when thunder storms appear?"

"Normally his helmet or one of us pulling him into our lap, but it didn't help this time."

"Mr. Diamond, you were lucky. All I want you to do for now is keep a close eye on Carlos and talk to him about his past, keep him away from caffeine, and if this happens again give me a call" he held out a card and James took it. "Thank you" Logan said and Carlos jumped down from the table.

XXXXXX

They got back to the palm woods around 7:00. Kendall went into the kitchen to make dinner, Logan went into his room to do scientifical™ stuff, and Carlos flopped down on the neon orange couch of 2J. James sat down next to him "What's been going on with you lately?" James asked him. Carlos looked at him innocently "What do you mean?" he asked "You haven't been eating, you keep having nightmares, you flinch every time one of us gets near you, and I can see the anxiety in your eyes Carlos. What's going on?" Thoughts were racing through Carlos's head. He didn't know whether to tell him the truth or not. Then "My mom" came out of his mouth by accident. He wanted to take it back so badly, but it was too late. "But your mom is dead. You said you have no idea what happened to her." "I lied" Carlos said almost crying, the dam he'd been building for 12 years finally broke. "Then what happened Carlos?" James asked sternly. Carlos's lip began to quiver and tears filled his eyes. "She was so horrible" he wailed "S-she hit me, an-and kicked me, and threw things at me, and stran-gled me. I hated it" he started to cry. What Carlos said broke James's heart. Carlos crawled into James's lap seeking comfort. Being in James's arms made him feel safer because he had huge muscles. "An-I-I-she always treated Mm-Miguel better than me. H-he promised he'd get her t-to stop but he never did." Carlos kept stumbling over his words, James could just barely hear what he was saying.

"Why did she do that?" "I don't know." he squeaked. "Every day when I came home from pre-school she wouldn't f-feed mmme, or-or play with me, or hug me. All she did was hurt me or call me names."

"Didn't you dad do anything?" James asked "Sh-She told me if I ever told him she'd kill me. And he didn't know until after she slammed me against the wall."

"Tell me about that" James said. "I-I asked her for s-some juice but she didn't give it to me. I kept as-asking and she got mad and started to slam me against the wall. Then Papi came through the door. He was w-wet, 'cause of the rain, and I grabbed his leg and told him."

"Was there a storm?" Carlos nodded his head, and everything was starting to make sense now. He had nightmares because he dreamed of his mom, he was afraid of storms because he was traumatized, was this the reason why he wore his helmet?

"Why do you wear your helmet Carlos?" James asked "Papi told me to wear it because mom could break out of prison and look for me." James looked confused "So it's not because you like doing those stunts?" he asked. Carlos sniffled "I-I don't even like doing those. I j-ust did them to hide everything." He buried his head in James's chest and gripped James's shirt. Tears stained James's shirt but he really didn't care. Carlos was trembling in his arms again. It was almost a regular thing now. James held him tight, and kept telling him "everything's gonna be ok" but tears were still running down Carlos's face faster than a waterfall.

The sobbing was so loud Kendall could hear it from the kitchen and soon started to walk over. "I should tell the guys" James said. Carlos yanked James's shirt and yelled "NO DON'T!" James looked down and asked "Why not?" Carlos lowered his voice "Just keep it between us. I don't want anyone else to know". Carlos's big, brown, puppy eyes got the best of James once again. He sighed and said "Okay". Kendall made his way over to the couch and asked what was wrong. "Carlos just feels sick. I was about to take him to bed" James said. Kendall gave James his I-don't-believe- you-but-okay look and said "If you say so" and walked away. "Promise you won't tell anyone James" Carlos asked quietly. James looked down and Carlos's tears had stopped and hope filled his eyes. "Yeah, I promise" James whispered. Carlos put on a real smile for the first time in years and hugged James and said "You're the best". James returned the hug and said "I know"

**A/N: THAT WAS FUN! The ending was cheesy but sweet thow. That was the last chapter, but I will think of other stories to write. It's more than likely to be another James and Carlos story because those are the easiest to make but it might be another kind of story so keep watching out for my next story.**


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